Roofing element



Jan. 8, 1929. 1,698,032

G. R. STARK ROOFING ELEMENT Filed July 26, 1927 INVENTO 652 Z arkikwbzmm ATTORN EY UNITED sr PATENT o F-ics.

GERALD R. STARK, OF SOUND BEACH, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE FLINTKOTECOMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

noon-me ELEMENT.

Application filed July 26, 1927. Serial No. 208,454.

This invention relates to roofing elements, more particularly thoseformed of a fiexible fibrous base impregnated and coated withsuitablewaterproofing material and -surfaced with a layer of crushed slate orthe like.

, One of the objects of the invention is to provide an individualshingle element adapted to be laid widely spaced with similar elementsin successive overlapping courses, and having a folded-under nailing tabproportioned so as to serve also as a gauge in properly and uniformlyaligning and spacing the shingle elements of each course.

Another object of the invention resides 1n in the provision of shingleelements having folded-under nailing tabs and being designed so thatwhen the elements are in place 1n their assembled relation on the roof,the overlapping marginal edges of each element will lie flat and snugagainst the surface of the adjacent underlying shingles, whereby toreduce to a minimum the tendency i for wind and rain to drive sidewiseunder said edges, and into contact with the roof supporting structure.

Another object is to provide shingles which when laid up will present athickened appearance at the butt with an equal number of layers ofmaterial at the lateral margins of the butt and at the portions thereofintermediate the mar ins, so'that the margins of the butt end 0 theshingle will be in the same uniform plane with the intermediateportions, thereby eliminating the unsightly appearance due to sagging ofthe mterme diate portions and the formation of ridgelike elevations atthe laterally overlapped edges of the shingles.

Another object is to provide such shingles in a form in which they maybe cut from a sheet of roofing material without waste.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates the form of shingle embodying the invention, andshowing the nailing tab extended.

Figure 2 shows the appearance of several shingles in assembled position.

Fi ure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the shinglesarranged in a slightly difierent manner.

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross-section through line 44 of Fi re 2.

Figure 5 illustrates t e manner in which ing at 18.

Figure 6 is a view showing shingles with a special form of nailreceiving opening.

Referring in detail to the drawin 10 represents the main body portion 0the shingle element embodying the present invention. The shingle is ofgenerally rectangular form, having vertical parallel side edges 11 and12, and a horizontal upper edge 13. At its lower end the shingle isformed with the aligned edges 14 extending inwardl of the side edges 11and 12. A nailing tali 15. projects forwardly of the edges 14 as shown.The nailing tab 15 may be of any desired configuration, the essentialrequisite, however, being that the maximum longitudinal dimensionthereof does not exceed the distance which the elements are spaced apartin the horizontal courses when laid on the roof. As illustrated thenailing tab is preferably of elongated rectangular form, having parallelvertical side edges '16 extending at right angles to the edges 14, and ahorizontal bottom edge 17, which is parallel to the edges 14.

As heretofore indicated, the nailing tab 15'is adapted to be underfoldedinto a position underlying the lower extremity of the main body portionof the shingle. The line along which the tab may be folded is preferablyone connecting the inner ends of the two edges 14, and is indicated inthe draw- In certain instances it may be desirable to mark or impressthe elements with painted or scored guide lines 20, at a suitabledistance below the upper edge 13, in order to facilitate the properspacing of the shingles of one horizontal row from those of thepreceding horizontal row.

Shingle elements as thus described may be cut from a sheet of mineralsurfaced roofing material without waste, as shown in Figure 5, where itwill be seen that the cutting operation ma be performed so as to producetwo longitu inal rows of elements side by side, with the nailing tab ofthe shingles of one row composed of the material cut away to form one ofthe edges 14 and 16 on each of a air of adjoining units in the oppositerow.

bus, I may employ a sheet of roofing material A, of suitable width,approximating edge of the shingle and a point midway of the nailing tab.In the operation of cutting the shingles'as illustrated, there is formedin the sheet a longitudinal series of transverse cuts 30, and a parallelseries of similar cuts 30', staggered longitudinally with respect to thefirst named series to an extent e ual to one-half the width of theshingle. T ese transverse cuts define the side edges 1l and 12 of theshingles, as will bereadily apparent. An intermediate series oftransverse cuts 40, are made to define the edges 16 of adjoininshingles, and the complete separation of t 1e units from the sheetinaybe effected by the staggered longitudinalcuts 50 alternately connectingadjacent ends of the cuts 40 and defining the bottom edges 17 of.shingles in one row, and the edges 14 ofthe adjoining pair of shinglesin the other row.

It will be apparent that by means of suitable mechanism, the foregoingcutting operations may be carried on simultaneously and in a continuousmanner.

The shingles maybe laid either as shown in Figure 2 or in Figure 3. Ineither instance the units of each horizontal course are widely A spacedfrom each other and are secured in place by the nailing devices 60passing through the tabs 15 at points adjacent-the ends thereof, and bythe nails 61 driven through the shingles along the margins, as shown.The shingles are laid so that the nailing tabs are disposed in. thespace between the opposed marginal edges of the units in the precedingcourse and preferably with the edges 16 of the tabs abutting themarginal edges of the shingles in the preceding row, so as to properlyalign the shingles. In the form illustrated in Figure 2 the verticalspacing of the successive courses is gauged by aligning the edges 17 ofthe retro verted nailing tabs with the upper edges 13 of the alignedshingles in the second lower row. With this arrangement, a maximumportion of the entire area of the shingle is exposed to the weather.Where, however, it is not desired to expose such a. large portion ofeach shingle, the successive courses may be applied as shown in Figure3, with the edges 17 positioned in alignment with the scored or printedgauge line 20 adjacent the upper ends of theunderlying shingles in thesecond preceding row.

In Figure 6 I have shown an arrangement of shingles of the type alreaddescribed but embodying as an additional fzature, the emloyment ofvertically elongated nail receiving holes 21 adjacent the ends of thenailing tabs 15. Any suitable nailing device 60', in

. the form of a headed-fastener may be driven through the holes 21 tofasten the elements in place, the elongation of the holes allowing theunderlying structure to freely expand and contract without causing theshingles to buckle.

From the foregoing description, numerous advantages will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. Attention however, is particularly directed tothe fact that the butt end of the shingle presents a heavy appearancewhile the nailin tab enables the shingle of each course to e quickly andaccurately spaced, and to the further fact that said tab is confinedwithin the space between the marginal edges of the laterally adj acentshingles, being neither overlapped by, nor overlapping the latter. Withsuch construction, each shingle lies snug and flat against theunderlying shingles so as to prevent rain from being driven sidewiseunder the side edges of the shingles or up under the butt thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. A roof composed 'of overlapping courses of rectangular shingles, theshingles of each course being substantially fiat throughout their entireextent and laid with the side edges thereof vertical, and the adjacentshingles in each course being spaced from each other a distance greaterthan the distance by which said adjacent shingles each overlap theunderlying shingle in the previous course, each shingle havin aretroverted nailing tab at its lower en the ends of said tab lying inabutment with the opposed vertical edges of the laterally adjacentshingles in the previous course.

2. A roof composed of overlap-ping courses of rectangular shingles, theshingles of each course being substantially flat throughout their entireextent and laid with the side edges thereof vertical, and the adjacentshingles in each course being spaced from each other a distance greaterthan the distance by which said adjacent shingles each overlap theunderlying shingle in the previous course, each shingle having aretroverted nailing tab at its lower end, said tab lying Wholly withinthe space between the opposed vertical edges of laterally adjacentshingles in the previous course, and being neither overlapped by noroverlapping said shingles of the previous course.

3. A flexible roofing element comprising a main body portion flatthruout its entire extent and of rectangular configuration, and aretrovertible tab projecting from one of the horizontal edges of thebody portion, said t'ab being narrower than the body portion and beingadapted to occupy the space between the marginal edges of a pair ofsubstantially adjacent elements of a preceding course, when saidelements are laid widely spaced on a roof.

GERALD R. STARK.

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,698,032. 7 Granted January 8,1929, &0

GERALD R. STARK.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2,line [16, claim 3, before the word "rectangular" insert the word "subStantialLV' and line 121, strike out the word "substantially"; and thafthesaid Letters Patent shonld'be read with these corrections therein thatthe same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed thisl2t-h day of March, A. D. l9 29.

M. Moore,

(Seal) Acting- Commissioner of Patents.

